Stéphane Bernaudeau

Stéphane Bernaudeau

Stéphane Bernaudeau learned the ropes from one of the Loire Valley's most iconic winemakers, Mark Angeli of Ferme de la Sansonnière. It was while working under Mark for fifteen years that Stephane saw firsthand the effect meticulous farming and low yields had on producing dry Chenin Blanc in Anjou.

The idea that great dry Chenin Blanc could come out of Anjou, let alone anything exceptional, is a relatively recent one. The region's reputation was built on sweet wine and all the baggage that came with producing it in on a commercial scale: chemical farming, high yields, and lots of interventionist winemaking. Today, one could argue that the level of care that started with Mark Angeli and now is translated into Stephane's wines has resulted in Anjou emerging as the heart of France's natural wine movement.

Stéphane's barely three hectare domaine is built on small and carefully selected parcels, with each of his wines focused on an individual parcel. The results are thrilling for both their purity and power.